Notre Dame Quarterbacks & The NFL Draft
In the 17 NFL Drafts from 1944-60, Notre Dame had an astounding eight quarterbacks selected in the first round: Angelo Bertelli (1944), Frank Dancewicz (1946), John Lujack (also 1946), Frank Tripucka (1949), Bob Williams (1951), Ralph Gugliellmi (1955), Paul Hornung (1957) and George Izo (1960), with five of them No. 1 or 2 overall.
In the 56 ensuing drafts thereafter from 1961 through 2016, that figure dropped to two: Rick Mirer as the No. 2 overall selection in 1993, and Brady Quinn chosen at No. 22 in 2007.
DeShone Kizer is attempting to become the third this Thursday.
Here are some other interesting facts and figures about Fighting Irish QBs and the NFL Draft:
Losing Record(s) Not Detrimental
Why would an NFL team be interested in a quarterback like Kizer who played for a team that was ranked No. 10 at the start of the year by the Associated Press — and then finished 4-8? Well, consider:
• The longest career in the NFL by a Notre Dame quarterback was Steve Beuerlein — who finished his career with back-to-back 5-6 records in 1985-86, the lone teams in school history with consecutive sub-.500 ledgers. Beuerlein was in the league 17 years from 1987-2003, and achieved both a Pro Bowl appearance (Carolina) and Super Bowl ring (Dallas).
• During his time at Notre Dame from 1960-62, Daryle Lamonica was 12-18 and never saw a winning season. Yet during a 12-year NFL career (1963-74) he was 66-16-4 as a starter for a .784 winning percentage, second only to Otto Graham’s .810.
Timing and which franchise you wind up with is so crucial.
• Hornung was 2-8 his senior year at Notre Dame in 1956, yet he was the No. 1 overall pick the next season en route to a Hall of Fame career (albeit at running back) with numerous NFL Championships. Again, timing, location and head coach.
By the way, the season after Hornung’s graduation, the Irish went from 2-8 to a No. 10 finish in the country (hint for the 2017 Notre Dame team).
College Achievement Does Not Always Equal NFL Prominence
Over the last 51 seasons, Notre Dame has had eight seasons where it finished unbeaten or had no worse than one loss (including ties). Six of the eight QBs who helped spearhead the Irish to such prominence were not even drafted by the NFL.
• In 1966, it was Coley O’Brien who had to come off the bench in the final two contests to seal the national title. He was not drafted and later moved to running back — while the No. 3 QB that same season, Bob Belden, made the Dallas Cowboys roster for two seasons.
• Tom Clements was not drafted despite leading the 11-0 Irish to the 1973 national title. He has been an NFL assistant the past 20 years, however, most recently at Green Bay.
• Option wizard Tony Rice, 12-0 for the 1988 national champs and 12-1 for the No. 2 finisher in 1989, was not drafted even as an “athlete.”
• All-time Notre Dame career pass efficiency leader Kevin McDougal, who directed an 11-1 and No. 2 finish in 1993, was not drafted.
• Sophomore Everett Golson helped Notre Dame to a 12-0 regular season before losing to Alabama, but he too never received an NFL sniff (nor did backup Tommy Rees, the current Irish QBs coach who helped win four games in a relief role that season).
The two exceptions, of course were Joe Theismann and Joe Montana.
Theismann led Notre Dame to a 10-1 record and No. 2 finish in 1970, but seven quarterbacks were taken ahead of him, notably the 1-2-3 picks with Jim Plunkett, Archie Manning and Dan Pastorini.
Theismann would play his first four years in the CFL before leading the Washington Redskins to the 1983 Super Bowl title and winning NFL MVP honors a year later.
Third-round pick Montana, who began the 1977 national title season on the third team, had three other quarterbacks drafted ahead of him in 1979 (Jack Thompson, Phil Simms and Steve Fuller) … but timing is everything. Even though San Francisco was 2-14 in 1978 and 2-14 again in Montana's rookie season, Bill Walsh was hired as the head coach that year. Two years later, Montana would lead the first of four Super Bowl titles with the 49ers.
Right timing, right franchise, right head coach.
Ending Another Drought
Notre Dame went a record three straight seasons from 2004-06 without an alumnus represented at quarterback on an NFL roster.
Brady Quinn (2007-13) and Jimmy Clausen (2010-15) ended that streak, but in 2016 Notre Dame once again did not have a former quarterback on any NFL roster. At one time, that was deemed unfathomable.
Kizer should end that in 2017 while becoming the first Notre Dame QB under eighth-year head coach Brian Kelly to make an NFL roster.
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